November 19, 2024

CHRISTLife: I Am New

January 19, 2014 by

1601272_585198378196350_659382059_nThis week we are entering into such an encouraging section of CHRISTLife: Embracing Your True and Deepest Identity.  Mrs. Myers writes MUCH in this week’s five chapters on our choice to confess the Truth about who God has made us to be.  She shares about God’s choice of us—that He made man for Himself. Further along this week, we are admonished to not inflate nor deflate our view of ourselves; but truly to see ourselves as God sees us.  And throughout our reading this week, we are reminded over and over of true (perhaps new) images for our inner identity album.  It is going to be exciting!  And also it will continue to be revealing of what we have chosen to hold in our hearts…the good, the bad, and the ugly.

Right at the outset of this week, my sisters, I want to remind you (and me!) that you ARE a new creation.

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, (s)he is a new creation.
The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.
2 Corinthians 5:17

…You laid aside the old self with its evil practices,
and have put on the new self who is being renewed to a true knowledge
according to the image of the One who created —
Colossians 3:9 and 10

For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus,
so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.
Ephesians 2:10

Wouldn’t these three verses be great additions to journal in your ‘inner identity album!’

Included here in today’s blogpost is a YouTube video from a wonderful Christian songwriter/artist—Jason Gray.  This young man has quite a story to tell!  And he does tell it!

As I listened to him tell bits and pieces about his story, I realized that he is on this same journey as we are!  He shares and is very transparent about his struggles to believe the Truth contained in the Scriptures about himself.  May I invite you, take you by the hand, and sit with you as you listen.  I pray that Jason Gray’s openness and humility will be a balm to your hearts!  May his words bring you to a place where you, too, will sing along with him…

Forgiven
Beloved
Hidden in Christ
Made in the image of the Giver of Life
Righteous
Holy
Reborn and remade
Accepted and worthy
This is who we are now

But may I suggest…before you tap that little triangle and start listening…go get a box of tissues. I’m just sayin’!

God loves you!  ♥   Don’t ever forget that!

♥     ♥     ♥     ♥     ♥  

 


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A Living Prayer

January 19, 2014 by

psalmshymnsspiritualsongskjv

~  Listen while you read, please!  ~

In this world I walk alone with no place to call my home,
But there’s one who holds my hand through rugged roads, through barren lands.

The way is dark, the road is steep, but He’s become my eyes to see,
The strength to climb, my griefs to bear. The Savior lives inside me there.

In Your love I find release, a haven from my unbelief.
Take my life and let me be a living prayer, my God, to Thee.

In these trials of life I find another voice inside my mind.
He comforts me and bids me live inside the love the Father gives.

Take my life and let me be a living prayer, my God, to Thee.

~  Performed by Alison Krauss and Union Station; written by Ron Block  ~

* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

This beautiful bluegrass ballad is an affirmation, a declaration, a commitment. It is the heart-cry of the songwriter to his God. I love that he wrote, ‘take my life and let me be….’  He recognized that, even though he had so much in his heart he wanted to commit to God Almighty, he still needed God’s involvement. He knew he needed God.

The writers of the Psalms often communicated very similar thoughts.

Give ear to my words, O Lord; consider my groaning.
Give attention to the sound of my cry, my King and my God, for to You do I pray.
O Lord, in the morning You hear my voice;
in the morning I prepare a sacrifice for You and watch.
But let all who take refuge in You rejoice; let them ever sing for joy,
And spread your protection over them, that those who love Your name may exult in You.
For You bless the righteous, O Lord; You cover him with favor as with a shield.
Psalms 25:1-3, 11 and 12 ESV

Listen to my words, O Lord, give heed to my sighing and groaning.
Hear the sound of my cry, my King and my God, for to You do I pray.
In the morning You hear my voice, O Lord; in the morning I prepare [a prayer, a sacrifice] for You and watch and wait [for You to speak to my heart].
Psalms 5:1-3 AMP

And as such it is with us, too. We cry out to our heavenly Father with words of commitment and declaration. Truly our affirmation of our trust in Him…our faith and belief that He is Faithful…our acknowledgment of our great need for our El Shaddai.

Take my life and let me be a living prayer, my God, to Thee!

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ChristLife: Prayer Warrior

January 18, 2014 by

saturdayprayersandpraisesshortAnd pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests.
With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.
Ephesians 6:18

This verse is given at the end of a passage of Scripture that we all know and love—the putting on of the Armor of God. Whenever I read through these verses I am so strongly reminded of the provision of God. After all, it is His Armor…not mine. I just take it and put it on. The Scriptures tell us that this Armor is TRUTH, RIGHTEOUSNESS, PEACE, FAITH, and SALVATION—a strong foundation on which to take a stand. And then, clothed with this Armor of God, we are equipped and enabled to stand.  Then we are told to pray.

This final piece of the Armor of God—prayer—is not the half-hearted whispering of a prayer. But rather it is prayer spoken with passion, with faith, with ‘strong purpose and perseverance.’ It is prayer uttered with humble wholeheartedness to the One Who hears our prayers and answers. It is prayer with faith and believing, with expectation and trust.

So often, when the Scriptures communicate to us on the matter of prayer, the words used are compelling. As you read these next few verses see which words jump out at you. (Hint: they are NOT the words outlined in red!)

Do not fret or have any anxiety about anything,
but in every circumstance and in everything,
by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving,
continue to make your wants known to God.
Philippians 4:6

Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving.
Colossians 4:2

Rejoice and exult in hope;
be steadfast and patient in suffering and tribulation;
be constant in prayer.
Romans 12:12

Which words did you find grabbing your attention…were they words like, ‘steadfast’ and ‘constant’ and ‘everything’ and ‘watchful?’  Yes, these are the attitudes of prayer…the mindset of a prayer warrior.  This is how we prepare our hearts so that we can take on the ministry of prayer and intercession.  And we remember to do so guarded with LOVE, with GRACE, and with MERCY.

But you, beloved, build yourselves up on your most holy faith,
praying in the Holy Spirit; Guard and keep yourselves
in the love of God; expect and patiently wait for the mercy of
our Lord Jesus Christ (the Messiah)—[which will bring you] unto life eternal.
Jude verses 20-22

So put on the Armor that God has provided for you, my sisters!  Never forget that the final piece of the Armor—the prayer piece—is not put ON but rather put IN…into your heart!  Prayer is a vitally important part of the equipping of a woman who desires to be a prayer warrior.  Never doubt that you CAN do this.  Don’t let lies get placed into your heart. God has equipped you; you are enabled. And there is much praying to be done for ‘all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying….’

 

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CHRISTLife – Four: Inner Identity Album

January 16, 2014 by

1526502_414668828664861_263672035_n

Don’t you just love looking at photographs?  Me, too.  And, with all the advances in current technology, almost everyone can snap away on a whim!  So many of us enjoy capturing both the big events in our lives as well as every day occurrences with photographs. A photograph is an image.

im·age   /’imij/  n.

1. A reproduction of the form of a person or object.
2. Physics – An optically formed duplicate, counterpart, or other representative reproduction of an object, especially an optical reproduction formed by a lens or mirror.
3. One that closely or exactly resembles another; a double. He is the image of his uncle.
4. Semblance or likeness. We are made in the image of God.
5. A personification of something specified: That child is the image of good health.
6. A mental picture of something not real or present.
7. A vivid description or representation.

The way in which we ‘picture’ ourselves in our own minds and hearts is our ‘image’ of ourselves.  And we keep these images of ourselves in an inner identity album. Our author, Mrs. Ruth Myers, uses this terminology to describe a “sort of mental photo album that strongly influences our sense of identity” (page 19). In other words, our inner identity album is like a scrapbook in our mind of how we picture ourselves—both negatively and positively.  The negative pictures show how our thinking about ourselves has been influenced by the world, other people’s words, difficult situations. And the positive pictures are reflecting the Truth from the Scriptures—the way in which God sees us.   These images portray what we think about ourselves in both of these ways—influenced by lies as well as the Truth.  They are the photographs in our inner identity album.   As we allow God to heal us and to change our image from negative to positive, we are ‘posting’ different pictures in our inner identity album.  These are the pictures that show ‘I AM who God says I am!’

Such as the Truth that NOTHING can separate us from the love of God.

For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels,
nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come,
nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing,
will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Romans 8:38-39

When we hold that Truth in our minds and believe it with our hearts, then our image of ourselves is one of being beloved by God, always and forever, and nothing can ever change that!

Or the truth that God is always with us.

Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous.
Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed,
for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.
Joshua 1:9

And the Truth that we are provided for by God.

Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life,
what you will eat or what you will drink,
nor about your body, what you will put on.
Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?
Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap
nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them.
Are you not of more value than they?
Matthew 6:25-26

We think on these things and they become the image that we have of ourselves…the Truth that is contained in our inner identity album.

As we continue along in this study, we are endeavoring to replace the lies with Truth. We will be changing our image and revealing that I AM who God says I am!

So my friend Kim and I thought it would be a grand idea to actually create an inner identity album as we go through our study of CHRISTLife.  Want to join us?  Each Tuesday and Thursday, we will have a little project—scrapbooking, journaling, etc.—that we can each do.  And on Thursdays everyone can post a picture of what they are currently working on—their inner identity album.  Today, Kim is introducing us to this idea with a simple, beautiful page that depicts that she IS who God says she is!

And now, from Kim:

CLiiakim

This scrapbook page is a reflection of my transformation. I have gone from the pit of despair, and the lies I once believed, to knowing and believing what God says about me—the truth.   Praise the Lord!!!

  • I am His masterpiece
  • I am redeemed from my past; I no longer have to live there
  • My past does not define my future
  •  I have been redeemed
  • There is no condemnation for those in Christ Jesus
  • I can now leave the past in the past and move forward in my redeemed life

This page was made from items I had around the house—old magazines, a few scrapbook pages, some stickers and Modge Podge.   I encourage you to make your page(s) personal to your own journey with God.   Let them show what He reveals to you personally.   Through this Bible study and the CHRISTLife book, we are being  transformed into the women that God says we are. Each one will be unique and different and will reflect us personally as God meets each one of us right  where we are at.

  *  ~  *  ~  *  ~  *  ~

Dear Lord, we are so thankful for the truth that we ARE who You say we are!  You know that in certain areas we struggle to maintain having that same vision as You do…please help us!  Help us to identify the lies and to refute them with the accuracy of the Truth of Your Word.  Truly it really only matters what You think…we so want to change our thoughts to being aligned with Your thoughts.  We need Your help, Father…and we are assured that we have it!  Thank You!  Praying and asking these things in Jesus’ name.  Amen.

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CHRISTLife – Two: Our Best Mirror

January 14, 2014 by

1545826_412714308860313_985682540_nI am not sure if you might be like me…at times it seems to be so difficult to keep thinking the TRUTH of what God says about myself.  Do you struggle with this too?  But, somehow by God’s grace, we muster up the fortitude and remind ourselves,

We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God,
and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.
2 Corinthians 10:5

When I recognize I am thinking these negative thoughts (lies), I try to remind myself, “I do not believe that!  That lie <negative thought> must be obedient to Jesus Christ.  God’s Word says ______ .”  (And then I speak or read the TRUTH of God’s Word which pertains to that situation.)

We are in charge of what we think!  We control the thoughts that we allow to live in our hearts!  We determine to put the TRUTH into our hearts and minds!   That is exactly what this verse reminds us to do!

Have you ever thought, or said, any of the following to yourself?

“I look _____ <fill in the blank> …no one could ever love me like this.”
The TRUTH is: I am beautiful in His sight!

I am fearfully and wonderfully made and beautiful in the eyes of the Lord.
Psalms 139:14

“I am not important…I have no value to anyone.”
The TRUTH is: I have great worth to God!

Aren’t five sparrows sold for two pennies?
Yet not one of them is forgotten in God’s sight.
Indeed, the hairs of your head are all counted.
Don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows!
Luke 12:7

“I can never forgive ____ for what they’ve done! They don’t deserve it.”
The TRUTH is:  I have been forgiven of so much!  Forgiveness has nothing to do with what is ‘deserved;’ it is all about trust and obedience to God.

And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.
And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
For if you forgive others for their transgressions,
your heavenly Father will also forgive you.
But if you do not forgive others, then your Father will not forgive your transgressions.
Matthew 6:12, 14, 15

We all have thoughts that are lies; for some of us they are ocassional…for others of us we suffer under these thoughts.  Sometimes they are long-buried words that others have spoken to us in our past.  Sometimes they are strongholds that are in our hearts that we have not dealt with.  Sometimes they are deceptions that the enemy of our souls speaks to us.  It really isn’t too important where the lies/thoughts come from.  What we do when we think those lies/thoughts is vitally important!  We could dwell on those lies/thoughts, harboring them in our hearts and allowing them to fester and grow.  NOT a good idea!  Or instead we could recognize those lies/thoughts for what they are, and choose to refute the lie by replacing it with the Truth of God’s Word, and have peace and joy.  A REALLY good idea!

Finally, <sisters>, whatever is true, whatever is honorable,
whatever is just, whatever is pure,
whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable,
if there is any excellence,
if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.
What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—
practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.
Philippians 4:8 and 9, paraphrase mine

This is one way to replace those lies/thoughts, “…think about these things.”  These are the things that God wants us to fix our minds on!  Just look at them: whatever is true, honorable, just, pure, lovely, commendable, of any excellence or worthy of praise…and when we do…we will have God’s peace.  Isn’t that just what we SO desire? Yes?  Amen.

Are there lies in your heart that you believe about yourself?  Take a moment…write down two negatives thoughts, or lies, on a piece of paper.  Now, compare them to the Truth; shed light—the Light of God’s Word on them.  Find the Truth in the Scriptures about who He says you are.  And write the Truth out on this same piece of paper.

Perhaps you are not quite sure how to go about this…try this:  google ‘God says I am worthy’  Now, try putting a phrase that you want to know the Truth from God’s Word into the Google search engine.  And, if you need help, come back here and let’s work together on it, ok?  I would love to work through this with you!   ♥

  *  ~  *  ~  *  ~  *  ~

Lord, we really want to believe with our whole hearts that ‘I AM what God says I am!’ In some areas of our lives, we regret that we believe lies.  Please guide us to Your Truth, Lord; please help us to change the lie into Truth.  We recognize our great need for Your help, Your guidance, Your healing, and Your deliverance.  We know that with You…all things are possible!  Thank You for helping us, Lord!!!  We thank You for it and look forward to praising You for our deliverance!  In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.

 

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CHRISTLife – One: A Crucial Question

January 13, 2014 by

CLbannerday1

 

Who are you? Is your first response, ‘Don’t ask me that question!’ or perhaps, you have a ready litany to spout out of accomplishments and positions you hold, of who you are in relation to your little world.  So I ask you again (and believe me…we are going to ask this question of each other and of ourselves many times during this study!)

Really now…who are you?

As the answers rise up within you, I suggest that you write them down.  Keep a running list.  And don’t NOT write down any response that is a little ugly or dark or something you don’t want to admit.  As we move along through this study, we will purposefully and intentionally work to find the Truth from the Scriptures of just God says you are.  And your list can be overwritten with those Truths.

Now, when you ask yourself ‘Who am I?,’ how do you feel about looking within?  Is it uncomfortable…painful even.  We each have areas of our hearts, our memories, our minds where we have pushed down the things that we don’t like and the things that we don’t want to deal with.  And perhaps there are things in your heart way down there that you aren’t even aware of anymore.

The Psalmist knew that it was God, and God alone, Who knew the depths of his heart! Over and over we read of him asking God to show him his heart.  In Psalm 139, he declares,

You have searched me, Lord, and you know me.
Verse 1

Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts.
Verse 23

Throughout our lives, situations and circumstances have led us to believe ‘things’ about ourselves—things that are simply not true. For many of us, perhaps even the majority of us, because of life events, our thoughts and beliefs about who we are have been molded without our even knowing it.

I encourage you to let the Holy Spirit reveal to you these lies that you believe about yourself. This will not be easy…most probably, very uncomfortable! But what great value there will be to not holding onto these lies anymore. And to shed light where there was darkness! And to hold onto the Truth that is revealed—the Truth about who God made you (each of us!) to be.

For You, O Lord, are my Lamp; the Lord lightens my darkness.
2 Samuel 22:29

This little song, sung by a few teenager girls, expresses my heart. How about yours?

“Search my heart, Lord, find anything, anything that keeps me from You
Find everything, everything that leads me away from Truth
I’m asking You, Lord, now know my heart
Every little secret, every hidden part
And what You ask of me, Lord, I’ll do…anything.”

Day by day, chapter by chapter, week by week, as we choose to persevere through this study, we will come to recognize just who we are in Christ!  Oh, to trust and believe it—I am who God says I am.

  *  ~  *  ~  *  ~  *  ~  *  

Oh, heavenly Father, I pray for each and every one of my sisters asking, Lord, that You will fill each of their hearts with the Truth of who they really are and how very much You love them. I ask that You would help each one of us to replace every single lie that is counter to the way that You see us with Truth from Your Scriptures.  Please help us to believe that ‘I am who God says I am!’  With Jesus’ precious blood we have been redeemed and made whole; it is in His Name that I ask and pray these things. Amen. Thank You, Lord.

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Baked Potato Soup – Load It Up

January 13, 2014 by

Yum!  Do you enjoy a baked potato with all the fixin’s?  I must admit I do!  What is your favorite topping?  Mine is bacon. And even choosing just what to put on top…when my husband gets done “loading” his potato, it is a masterpiece (and he enjoys every bite)!  But we’ve learned a few things about the balancing act with carbs…and so, a loaded baked potato finds it’s way onto my plate once in a blue moon.  However, this soup…now this i can enjoy perhaps every full moon!

A friend had asked me for a recipe for this soup. (I had never even heard of ‘Baked Potato Soup!’)   You can only imagine the variety of recipes to be found out on the internet!  Well, you can easily guess just what they were “loaded” with—many more calories than I desire to serve to my husband and guests (and me)!   And we surely couldn’t include a recipe like most of those I saw on our Monday post on the At Home w/ GCH blog!

So here is how I made our healthy-but-oh-so-yummy version—this recipe includes cauliflower. Using cauliflower as a main ingredient does a number of things in a healthy and yummy way:

  • provides our bodies with more veggies
  • and for those of you trying to sneak veggies into your family’s repertoire…perfect!
  • keeps the carb count down (approximately the same # of carbs in an entire head of cauliflower as in one russet potato)
  • bulks up the soup so it is thick and creamy without exhorbitant quantities of heavy cream and cheese (lots of fat and calories)

I encourage you to try this soup…it is a very satisfying comfort food but is light on the carbs and the fat calories.  A nice treat!  Enjoy!

Loaded Baked Potato Soup

Healthy but oh-so-yummy Loaded Baked Potato Soup

Healthy but oh-so-yummy Loaded Baked Potato Soup

Ingredients
soup:
2 medium-sized russet* potatoes, washed and dried
1 head of cauliflower, rough chopped
1+1/2 cups chicken, or vegetable, broth
1+1/2 cups 2% milk (warmed)
salt and freshly ground black pepper
toppings:
2 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled (you can use turkey bacon if you wish)
1/2 cup light sour cream
1 cup shredded very sharp cheddar cheese
dried parsley

Directions

  • First get the baked potatoes going. After scrubbing them, pierce potatoes with a fork in 4 or 5 places. I prepared mine in the microwave oven (on high for 5 minutes; turn over and cook another 3-5 minutes, until tender). Or, you can bake them at 400° for approximately 1 hour or until tender. Either way, when potatoes are done, cool for 10-15 minutes. Then they can be peeled and chopped. This recipe is also a great way to use up leftover baked potatoes!
  • While the potatoes are cooking and cooling, you can prepare the other main ingredients. Here’s how I cook bacon: I stack the slices and, using kitchen scissors, I cut it into approximately 1+1/2″ to 2″ pieces. I find that the bacon cooks much more quickly and evenly this way. Place the pieces into a COLD small frying pan, heat over medium heat. Once the bacon starts frying, I reduce the heat a bit and cook to the desired degree of doneness, keeping a careful eye so that it does not burn. I like to cook bacon over a medium low heat so that most of the fat is rendered out. Using a slotted spoon or spatula, remove the bacon, leaving the drippings, and place onto a couple of paper towels to finish draining. Set aside for topping the soup.
  • Now while the bacon is cooking, place the cut-up cauliflower into a medium-sized pot along with the broth. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, then cover and simmer ‘til tender. Do not drain.
  • Once cauliflower is cooked, add warmed milk and the chopped baked potatoes to the pot, and bring back to a boil. Reduce heat and gently simmer ‘til thoroughly heated, stirring once or twice; this will take just a couple of minutes. Remove pot from heat and scoop out about 1/3 of the veggies; set aside.
  • Now you are going to puree (smooth out) the soup. I use an immersion or stick blender** to puree. Other options would be to use a potato masher, or to puree the soup in your blender. You must be very careful doing it this way because it is hot! See below for tips (just ‘cause God loves you…we don’t want to see you get hurt!). Once pureed, place pot back on very low heat, add back in the reserved veggies, the sour cream, half the parsley, and season to taste with salt and pepper. heat on very low ‘til nice and hot, stirring occasionally.

Now to “load” your potato soup!  Ladle soup into each bowl.  Top each serving with 2 tablespoons of shredded cheese, a sprinkle of the remaining parsley, and some of the crumbled bacon. Healthy but-oh-so-yummy!

   ♥      ♥      ♥      ♥      ♥ 

God loves you!  ♥   (Don’t ever forget that!)

♥   Coleen

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Who Am I? I Am Yours!

January 12, 2014 by

Who am I, that the Lord of all the earth
Would care to know my name, would care to feel my hurt
Who am I, that the Bright and Morning Star, would choose to light the way
For my ever-wandering heart

I am a flower quickly fading, here today and gone tomorrow
A wave tossed in the ocean…a vapor in the wind
Still You hear me when I’m calling
Lord, You catch me when I’m falling
And You’ve told me who I am—I am Yours, I am Yours

Who am I, that the eyes that see my sin
Would look on me with love and watch me rise again
Who am I, that the Voice that calmed the sea would call out through the rain
And calm the storm in me

Not because of who I am…but because of what You’ve done
Not because of what I’ve done…but because of who You are

I am a flower quickly fading, here today and gone tomorrow
A wave tossed in the ocean…a vapor in the wind
Still You hear me when I’m calling
Lord, You catch me when I’m falling
And You’ve told me who I am—I am Yours, I am Yours

I am Yours! Whom shall I fear
Whom shall I fear ’cause I am Yours, I am Yours

~  written by Mark Hall; performed by Casting Crowns  ~

~~~   ~~~   ~~~   ~~~   ~~~   ~~~   ~~~

“WHO AM I?” have we not asked ourselves this question time upon time upon time? We, of ourselves,…we are not much. But, for those who have accepted Jesus as Redeemer and Savior…and made Him to be Lord of their lives, we are MUCH in and through Him! God’s eternal plan of redemption was to rescue back for Himself those He had created for fellowship! He tells us ‘You are Mine!’

But now, this is what the Lord says—
He who created you, Jacob,
He who formed you, Israel:
“Do not fear, for I have redeemed you;
I have summoned you by name; you are Mine.”
Isaiah 43:1

“You!”  Yes, you.  And me, too.  Go back for a moment, please…everywhere in that verse, where it reads “you” place your own name…say it out loud. “I have summoned you, Coleen, by name; you, Coleen, are Mine.”

Almighty God, the Creator of the heavens and the earth tells me, ‘You are Mine!” Not due to anything I might have accomplished, or any accolade I may have received. Not because of any credential I might have, or even any good and righteous act.  Just because I am who God says I am!

Not because of who I am…but because of what <He’s> done
Not because of what I’ve done…but because of who <He is>!

Tomorrow we begin this journey through Ruth Myers’ book, CHRIST|Life, Embracing Your True and Deepest Identity.  Listen to how she encourages:

  • “In this book, we’ll see how He expands our self-image as we allow Him to. This will broaden our view of what is really possible for us. He superimposes a glorious, positive self-image over our false and negative views of ourselves. This helps to make triumphant living possible”  (page 7).
  • And, “The closer we walk with the Lord, the more vividly we’ll learn to recognize both the negatives and the positive about ourselves” (page 8).

We will come to recognize just who we are in Christ!  Oh, to trust and believe it—I am who God says I am.  I am His!

Filed Under: CHRISTLife Bible Study, Psalms Hymns and Spiritual Songs Tagged With: , , , , , , , , ,

In Christ Alone

January 9, 2014 by

psalmshymnsspiritualsongskjv

 ~  Listen while you read, please!  ~

In Christ alone my hope is found; He is my Light, my Strength, my Song;
This Cornerstone, this solid ground, firm through the fiercest drought and storm.
What heights of love, what depths of peace, when fears are stilled, when strivings cease!
My Comforter, my all in all—here in the love of Christ I stand.

In Christ alone, Who took on flesh, Fullness of God in helpless babe!
This gift of love and righteousness, scorned by the ones He came to save.
‘Til on that Cross as Jesus died, the wrath of God was satisfied;
For ev’ry sin on Him was laid—here in the death of Christ I live.

There in the ground His body lay, Light of the world by darkness slain;
Then bursting forth in glorious day up from the grave He rose again!
And as He stands in victory, sin’s curse has lost its grip on me;
For I am His and He is mine—bought with the precious blood of Christ.

No guilt in life, no fear in death—this is the pow’r of Christ in me;
From life’s first cry to final breath, Jesus commands my destiny.
No pow’r of hell, no scheme of man can ever pluck me from His hand;
‘Til He returns or calls me home—here in the pow’r of Christ I’ll stand.

 

~  In Christ Alone; words and music by Keith Getty & Stuart Townend  ~

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The words of a song can be so stirring!  Particularly, I have found hymns to have this effect on me.  A choir director once told me that hymns are songs that “are soaked in doctrinal truth.”  One definition of hymns says that they are “… songs that help teach faith.”  What we sing through this type of song can profoundly affect how we think and feel.  And each of us have our own favorite hymns and choruses…they come to mean so much to our hearts!  This song, In Christ Alone, is considered a modern-day hymn. It contains such foundational truth.

For example, the very first three words of this song, “In Christ alone…” You could say them in other ways, too—‘only Jesus…’ ‘Jesus is everything to me…’ ‘You, Lord, JUST You…’

The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation.
For in Him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth,
visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities;
all things have been created through Him and for Him.
He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.
And He is the head of the body, the church;
He is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead,
so that in everything He might have the supremacy.
Colossians 1:15-18

In and through Jesus we have been given so very much! He truly is our ‘Light… (John 8:12), our Strength… (Psalms 28:7 and 8), our Cornerstone (1 Peter 2:5 and 6)!’

I just love to sing these next lines of this song; they are so beautiful!

What heights of love, what depths of peace, when fears are stilled, when strivings cease!
My Comforter, my All in All, here in the love of Christ I stand.”

Through Jesus, also, we have love (Romans 8:38 and 39), peace (Philippians 4:7), comfort (Psalm 46:10), and joy (John 15:11)! He IS our ‘all in all.’

And when all things shall be subdued unto him,
then shall the Son also himself be subject unto him
that put all things under him, that God may be all in all.
1 Corinthians 15:28

In Jesus our hope, our trust, our constant assurance is in the right place—on the solid foundation of who we are in Christ.  In my own life I must need continual reminding  to not let my feelings get in the way or my circumstances be allowed to dictate my actions. But, as we (I!) stand firmly on the unchangeable truths of the gospel of Christ, our (my!)faith is being continuously built.

This hope we have as an anchor of the soul,
a hope both sure and steadfast and one which enters within the veil,
where Jesus has entered as a forerunner for us….
Hebrews 6:19 and 20

How about you? Do the words of this beautiful hymn evoke a response in your heart when you hear them?  (I would so LOVE to ‘hear’ your answer in the comments below.)

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Interested in joining us for our next Online Bible Study that starts on January 13, 2014?   Click HERE for more details!

Filed Under: Psalms Hymns and Spiritual Songs Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

SoupPalooza2014 – Turkey Veggie Soup

January 6, 2014 by

SoupPalooza time again! January is National Soup Month, and for my hubby, Robert, we have entered his ‘happy zone!’  The man will eat soup every single day! So, just like January 2013, I am indulging him and have committed to serving soup at one meal per day for the entire month.

2014-01-05 16.54.40

Here on our healthy but oh-so-yummy! Monday’s on the At Home w/ GCH blog, we will be promoting soup, soup, and soup for the next four weeks. Each week will focus on a different type of soup, i.e., veggie-based, creamy, chunky, meaty, etc. And don’t forget to utilize the search button on our website to check out soups from SoupPalooza 2013 along with soups that our Dana has shared with us, too!  With all of the ch-ch-chilly temperatures around the country recently, perhaps soup will feature more in your menu planning, too!

Turkey Veggie Soup

Ingredients
4 quarts homemade turkey stock (or your choice of boxed broth)2014-01-05 14.09.29
3-4 cups of cooked turkey meat, shredded
1 small sweet onion, finely diced
1 stalk celery, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons chopped garlic in oil (jarred)
2 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 medium-large butternut squash, peeled and cubed
1 can (15 oz) stewed or crushed tomatoes
1/2 can (15 oz) pumpkin puree (NOT seasoned!)
3 tablespoons chopped parsley
1 tablespoon chopped thyme
1 tablespoon chopped rosemary
2 garlic cloves (crushed)
salt and pepper to taste
6-8 ounces green beans (if using frozen, defrost)
2 cups cauliflower florets (ditto)
1 cup cubed zucchini
8 ounces carrots (I used frozen)
optional: cooked rice, quinoa, or tiny pasta

Directions

  • In a large soup (or stock) pot, heat olive oil over medium-high heat, and then add onion and celery. Saute for 5 minutes.
  • Add cubed butternut squash and saute for an additional 10 minutes, stirring only once or twice, ‘til just beginning to brown.
  • Add chopped garlic and saute for 1 minute, stirring constantly.
  • Stir in stock, tomatoes, and pumpkin puree, mixing thoroughly.
  • Add vegetables (zucchini, cauliflower, carrots, and green beans) and seasonings. Bring to a boil.
  • Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 15 or so minutes ‘til veggies are getting tender.
  • Using a slotted spoon, remove about half of the veggies to a bowl and set aside.
  • Turn heat very low, and puree the broth and remaining veggies ‘til smooth using an immersion stick blender (or very carefully! puree in a blender container).
  • Add back in the reserved veggies along with the cooked meat. Heat ‘til nice and hot.  Enjoy!

   ♥      ♥      ♥      ♥      ♥ 

God loves you!   ♥  (Don’t ever forget that!)

♥  coleen

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Interested in joining us for our next Online Bible Study that starts on January 13, 2014?   Click HERE for more details!

Filed Under: At Home w/ GCH Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,
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